Your safety--and the safety of others--is very important and operating this vehicle safely is an important responsibility. While we strive to help you make informed decisions about safety, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the hazards associated with operating or maintaining your vehicle. Therefore, you must use your own good judgement.
This guide explains many of your vehicle's safety features and how to use them. Please read this information carefully. Following the instructions below will also help to keep you and your passengers safe.
Engaging in cell phone conversation or other activities that keep you from paying close attention to the road, other vehicles, and pedestrians could lead to a crash. Remember, situations can change quickly, and only you can decide when it is safe to divert some attention away from driving.
Your vehicle has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for use only on pavement. Higher ground clearance has many advantages for off-highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier. These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher off the ground, it has a higher center gravity making it more susceptible to tipping or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts.
The engine exhaust from this vehicle contains carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, and highly toxic gas. As long as you properly maintain your vehicle and follow the instructions set forth below, you will not accumulate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide gas in the vehicle interior.
Have the exhaust system inspected for leaks whenever:
Adjust the climate control system in the same manner if you sit in your parked vehicle with the engine running.
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic. Breathing it can cause unconsciousness and even kill you. Avoid any enclosed areas or activities that expose you to carbon monoxide.
An enclosed area such as a garage can quickly fill up with carbon monoxide gas. Do not run the engine with the garage door closed. Even when the garage door is open, drive out of the garage immediately after starting the engine.
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to supplement seat belts, not replace them. So even though your vehicle is equipped with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your seat belts and wear them properly.
All five seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency locking retractors. In normal driving, the retractor lets you move freely while keeping some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop, the retractor locks to restrain your body. The rear seat belts also have a lockable retractor for use with child seats.
The front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance safety. The tensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts during a moderate to severe frontal collision, sometimes even if the collision is not severe enough to inflate the front airbags.
Not wearing a seat belt properly increases the chance of a serious injury or death in a crash, even though your vehicle has airbags.
Be sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts and wear them properly.
Any belt that is not in good condition or working properly will not provide proper protection and should be replaced as soon as possible.
Not checking or maintaining seat belts can result in serious injury or death if the seat belts do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly and have any problem corrected as soon as possible.
Adjust your seat to the proper position and then follow the steps below:
To release the belt, push the red PRESS button then guide the belt by hand until it has retracted completely.
Improperly positioning the seat belt can cause serious injury or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly positioned before driving.
Your vehicle is equipped with several types of airbags: front airbags, side airbags, and side curtain airbags.
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help protect the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger. They are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver and in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant's primary restraint system.
The driver's advanced front airbag system includes a seat position sensor. Based on information from this sensor and the severity of the impact, the advanced airbag system determines the optimal deployment of the driver's airbag.
The front passenger's advanced airbag system has weight sensors.
We advise against allowing a child age 12 or under to ride in the front passenger's seat. However, if you do allow a child age 12 or under to ride in the front passenger's seat, note that the system will automatically turn off the front passenger's airbag if the sensor's detect that the child is approximately 65 lbs (29 kg) or less.
Make sure the floor mat behind the front passenger's seat is hooked to the floor mat anchor. An improperly placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
The side airbags help protect the upper torso and pelvis of the driver or a front passenger during a moderate-to-severe side impact. They are housed in the outside edge of the driver's and front passenger's seat-backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
The side curtain airbags are located in the ceiling above the side windows on both sides of the vehicle.
To get the best protection from the side curtain airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts properly and sit upright and well back in their seats.
Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof pillars, as they can interfere with the proper operation of the side curtain airbags.
One or both side curtain airbags may inflate in a moderate-to-severe angled frontal collision.
Always wear your seat belt properly, sit upright, and as far back from the steering wheel as possible while allowing full control of the vehicle. A front passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard as possible.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag. Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp object in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the covers marked SRS AIRBAGcould interfere with the proper operation of the airbags or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags. They can interfere with the proper operation of the airbags or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof pillars. They can interfere with the proper operation of the side curtain airbags.
Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers. This can prevent your side airbags from properly deploying during a side impact.
An open glove box can cause serious injury to your passenger in a crash, even if the passenger is wearing the seat belt.
Always keep the glove box closed while driving.
If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator comes on and a message appears on the multi-information display.
If the indicator comes on at any other time besides vehicle start-up or does not come on at all, have the system checked by a dealer as soon as possible. If you don't, your airbags and seat belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in serious injury or death if the airbag systems or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as soon as possible if the SRS indicator alerts you to a possible problem.
Children age 12 or under should always ride properly restrained in a back seat.
Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on.
If the front passenger‘s seat is empty, the passenger’s front airbag will not deploy and the indicator will not come on.
If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and go off repeatedly if the total weight on the seat is near the airbag cutoff threshold.
Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored in the center of the steering wheel; the front passenger’s airbag is stored in the dashboard. Both are marked SRS AIRBAG.
Two side airbags, one for the driver and one for a front passenger. The airbags are stored in the outer edges of the seat-backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
Two side curtain airbags, one for each side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored in the ceiling, above the side windows. The front and rear pillars are marked SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG.
An electronic control unit that, when the vehicle is on, continually monitors information about the various impact sensors, seat and buckle sensors, rollover sensor, airbag activators, seat belt tensioners, and other vehicle information. During a crash event the unit can record such information.
Automatic front seat belt tensioners. The driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts incorporate sensors that detect whether or not they are fastened.
A driver’s seat position sensor. This sensor determines the optimal force at which the airbag will deploy in a crash.
Weight sensors in the front passenger’s seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be turned off if the weight on the seat is about 65 lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant or small child).
An indicator on the dashboard that alerts you that the front passenger’s front airbag has been turned off.
An indicator on the instrument panel that alerts you to a possible problem with the airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your vehicle inspected by a dealer in the following situations:
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced. Similarly, once an automatic seat belt tensioner has been activated, it must be replaced.
Even if the airbags did not inflate, have your dealer inspect the following: the driver’s seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the crash.
This would likely disable or affect the driver’s seat position sensor or the weight sensors in the passenger’s seat. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact a Honda dealer. For U.S. vehicles, call Honda Automobile Customer Service at (800) 999-1009. For Canadian vehicles, call Honda Canada Customer Relations at (888) 946-6329.
Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle collisions are the number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in a rear seat. Some states or provinces/territories have laws restricting where children may ride.
To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state, Canadian province, and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they ride in a vehicle.
Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be properly restrained in a child seat. A larger child should be properly restrained with a seat belt, using a booster seat if necessary.
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or wrap one around their neck can result in serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat belt and make sure any unused seat belt a child can reach is buckled, fully retracted, and locked.
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until the infant reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit for the seat, and the infant is at least one year old. Many experts recommend use of a rear-facing seat for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and weight are appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
Child seats must be placed and secured in a rear seating position. Rear-facing child seats should never be installed in a forward-facing position. When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent the driver or a front passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking their seat-back in the desired position.
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death during a crash.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the rear seat, not the front.
If a child is at least one year old and within the weight range indicated by the child seat manufacturer, the child should be properly restrained in a firmly secured forward-facing child seat.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child seat in front, move the vehicle seat as far back as possible, and properly restrain the child.
Most child seats are LATCH-compatible (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren). Some have a rigid-type connector, while others have a flexible-type connector. Both are equally easy to use. Some existing and previously owned child seats can only be installed using the seat belt. Whichever type you choose, follow the child seat manufacturer’s use and care instructions as well as the instructions in this guide. Proper installation is key to maximizing your child’s safety.
In seating positions and vehicles not equipped with LATCH, a LATCH compatible child seat can be installed using the seat belt and a top tether for added security. This is because all child seats are required to be designed so that they can be secured with a lap belt or the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt. In addition, the child seat manufacturer may advise that a seat belt be used to attach a LATCH-compatible seat once a child reaches a specified weight. Please read the child seat owner’s manual for proper installation instructions.
Important considerations when selecting a child seat
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To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
When a child is too big for a child seat, secure the child in a rear seat using the lap/shoulder seat belt.
If a lap/shoulder belt cannot be used properly, position the child in a booster seat in a rear seating position. For the child’s safety, check that the child meets the booster seat manufacturer’s recommendations.
Some U.S. states and Canadian provinces/territories require children to use a booster seat until they reach a given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or 60 lbs). Be sure to check current laws in the state or province/territory where you intend to drive.
Allowing a child age 12 or under to sit in the front can result in injury or death if the passenger’s front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must ride in front, move the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible, have the child sit up properly and wear the seat belt properly, using a booster seat if needed.
Safety labels are in the locations shown. They warn you of potential hazards that can cause serious injury or death. Read these labels carefully.
In the U.S.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer, or American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://www.safercar.gov, or write to: Administrator, NHTSA,1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from http://www.safercar.gov.
In Canada
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform Honda Canada, Inc., and you may also inform Transport Canada.
If Transport Canada receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may lead to a recall and remedy campaign. However, Transport Canada cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer, or Honda Canada, Inc.
To contact Transport Canada’s Defect Investigations and Recalls Division, you may call 1-800-333-0510. For more information on reporting safety defects or about motor vehicle safety, go to http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety.